German President Horst Kohler arrives in Accra for a four-day official visit to the country on Thursday, January 11. To be accompanied by the wife Eva, he would hold bilateral talks with President John Agyekum Kufuor at the Castle, Osu; pay a courtesy call on Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, at his Manhyia Palace and visit the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to discuss issues on the brain drain with the students.

President Kohler would also participate in the second conference of the "Partnership with Africa" from the January 12 to January 14 at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Teshie Accra, on the theme: "Two Generations-One Future." The conference is a sequel to the first Africa Conference the German President convened in Bonn in November 2005, where he launched the Africa Partnership Initiative. President Kufuor and President Kohler are programmed to interact with about 50 young leaders from Germany and Africa at the Conference.

Some other African leaders including President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria; Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf; President Festus Mogae of Bostwana; Mr Alpha Oumar Konare, President of the African Union and Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, President of the ECOWAS Commission, would also be attending. Mr Andrews Awuni, President Kufuor’s Press Secretary, told a Castle press briefing on Tuesday that issues to be deliberated on would involve the environment and management of the natural world; armed conflict and everyday violence; educational opportunities and employment prospects and democratic participation.

Bilateral relations between Ghana and Germany have always been good. In June 2002 President Kufuor paid a four-day official visit to Germany. The then German Chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, also made a reciprocal visit to Ghana. Mr Awuni used the occasion to convey President Kufuor's gratefulness to the Chief Imam, the entire Muslim community and Christian Congregations in Ghana, for their prayers for the country and the Jubilee anniversary.

He appealed to all, who called on the name of God to pray earnestly and fervently that the Jubilee year would also mark the country's time of rest from her labour.GNA

Upper West NDC MPs condemns youth employment programme

All the seven Upper West NDC members of parliament on Tuesday accused the government of using the Youth in Employment Programme to create jobs for only members of the NPP and other party sympathizers. "It is nothing short of an NPP youth recruitment drive.

If one does not bear an NPP card and is not ready to register as a member of the party, one is automatically disqualified from obtaining employment under the programme". Mr. Edward Salia, Member of Parliament for Jirapa, announced these at Wa during an NDC News conference organized to climax their five-day tour of all the 10 constituencies of the Upper Western Region.




The Members who were at the conference included; Alban Bagbin, Minority leader, Mathias Puozah, Nadowli East, Joseph Yieleh Chireh, Wa West, Rashid Pelpuo, Wa Central, Benjamin Kumbour, Lawra/Nandom, Edward Salia, Jirapa and Mrs. Alice Boon, Jirapa. Mr. Salia, who is also the chairman of the Upper West Parliamentary caucus said come 2008, Ghanaians were going to return their votes to the NDC after having gone through myriads of hardships under the NPP regime.




He said their studies on the ground proved that Ghanaians were bent on returning NDC to power because of the leadership qualities they saw in Professor John Atta-Mills and urged all party loyalists to keep campaigning so as to win more members for the 2008 general elections.




"Upper Westerners have only one request: that we salvage them from neglect, discrimination and suffering" He added The caucus chairman also accused the NPP government of not doing enough for a smooth pilgrimage for Muslims in the country and called on the President and the Vice President to apologize to all pilgrims and Ghanaians in general, adding that, it was only the NDC leadership that visited the stranded pilgrims at the Kotoka International Airport.





On the Millenium Challenge Account, the MPs said it was a testimony to the fact that the NPP government had neglected the North by not including the Upper East and West Regions in the programme. The NDC members also criticized the government for not speeding up the rural electrification programme in the Region.



'The NDC is worried about the neglect of the rural electrification programme." The News conference was also attended by regional and constituency executive members, and other loyal members of the party.GNA

State-Owned Media get new Boards

The National Media Commission (NMC) has reconstituted the Board of Directors for State-Owned Media organisations in consultation with President John Agyekum Kufuor. A release signed by Joseph E. T. Dottey, for the Executive Secretary of NMC, said the Ghana News Agency (GNA) Board is chaired by Mr Rex Owusu-Ansah; with Dr A.B.K. Anane; Mr Abdulai Musah; Mrs Gina Blay; Mrs Agartha Gaisie Nketia; Dr Kofi Oti Adinkra and the General Manager, Nana Appau Duah as members.

The New Times Corporation Board is chaired by Professor Kwesi Yankah; with Togbe Avudzega Soga; Mrs. Harriet Armah; Mr Anthony Edow Dadzie; Mr J. Derby Amissah-Arthur; Mr Eddie Adiin Yansah; Mrs Genevieve H. Haruna; Squadron Leader De-Graft Elllionah and the Managing Director, Nanabanyin Pratt as members.

The Board for Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) has Reverend Dr Asante-Antwi as chairman; with Mr A. K. Bonney; Dr Audrey Gadzekpo; Mr Robert Ahomka Lindsay; Mrs Stella Amegashie; Mr Ben Batabe Assorow; Ms Georgette Francois; Mr F.K.D Frimpong and the Director-General as members.

The Board for Graphic Communications Groups Limited has Nana Kwasi Offei Agyeman as chairman; with Mr Kafui Asem; Mr Mike Adjei; Mrs Esther Nakai Mensah; Mrs Rose Fosu; Mr Michael M. Asigri; Mr Akwasi Agyeman; Mr E.M. Boye and the Managing Director as members.

The statement said the GNA Board would be inaugurated on January 16, 2007; New Times Corporation on January 17; Ghana Broadcasting Corporation January 18 and that of Graphic Communications Group on January 19, 2007. The inaugurations would take place at the respective offices of the Media Houses.GNA

African Soil Scientists meet in Accra

The achievement of food security and the Millennium Development Goals in 2015 would still remain the main challenges for Africa if innovative approaches were not developed to solve the soil degradation and land use problems.

"Degradation of land and water resources increasingly threatens national and households’ food security in many parts of Africa. In these countries, degradation reduces the options for attaining their future food security targets and that of the next generation." Papa Owusu-Ankomah, Minister of Education Science and Sports, said this in Accra when he opened a six-day Fourth African Soil Science Society International Conference on the theme: "Impact of Climate Change; Global Trade; Urbanisation and Biotechnology on Land Use in Africa.

" The conference, attended by about 150 participants is discussing the dynamics of land use; local market; global trade and land use patterns; climate change; land management and biodiversity among other topics. Papa Owusu-Ankomah noted that land use changes associated with agriculture could disrupt the natural balance between the production of biomass and the release of carbon by soil respiration. He envisaged that the development and implementation of sustainable land and water management practices would contribute significantly to the attainment of food security and environmental health.

"The development of sustainable land management practices should take into account the consequences of the requirements of international trade with its binding conditions; the impact of climate change with potential increase in natural disasters and the prospects of biotechnologies on land use systems and land management techniques.

" He asked soil scientists to be vocal and to participate actively in policy formation; norms and standard setting; good agricultural practices with respect to soil science and related issues. "There is the need for African Soil Science Society to position itself, as a regional broker for land issues within the civil society in Africa and to develop active collaboration particularly with international institutes and networks dealing with soil and land issues and strong lobbying for public and donor's support for more investment in sustainable land management.

” Papa Owsu-Ankomah called on Soil Scientists to play a key role in advising decision makers and various stakeholders for the realisation of the African Green Revolution given the strategic importance of fertilizers in achieving the African Green Revolution to end hunger. The African Union Member States have declared fertilizers both inorganic and organic as strategic goods and have resolved to increase the use of fertilizer from the current average of eight kilograms per hectare to an average of at least 50 kilograms per hectare by 2015.

Professor Dominic Fobih, Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines, expressed concern about the gap created between researchers, policy makers and end users and noted the importance to bridge the gap for national development. He explained that research was essential and urged research scientists to ensure that they worked not only in their shells but also in collaboration with end users of their findings.

Prof. Emmanuel Owusu-Bennoah, Director-General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), who chaired the function, said the issue of land use and its implications had become topical and the climate change; global trade; urbanisation and biotechnology were at the core in ensuring sustainable development.

He said the challenges of agriculture in the 21st century required systemic integration of the environmental, social and economic pillars of development to meet the needs of the present generation without sacrificing their livelihood for the future. He called for the formulation of a comprehensive land use plan to ensure that prime agricultural land and other natural resources such as soil, water and forests were protected.GNA

Anomabu presents its programme for Ghana’s Jubilee Celebration

Memorial plaques to honour three heroes of Anomabu in the Central Region, for the great and exemplary contributions made to the country, would be unveiled on February 24, by President John Agyekum Kufuor as part of the Golden Jubilee Celebration of nationhood.




They are Dr Kwegyir Aggrey, the visionary philosopher and educationist, George Ekem-Furgesson, the celebrated surveyor, credited with the survey of the area that became the Gold Coast and Nana Amoonoo V, the Anomabu chief, who led other traditional rulers in the Colony to sign the Bond of 1844.



The programme is the baby of the Anomabu Traditional Council. A delegation of chiefs and some prominent personalities from the area including the Omanhene, Kantamanto Amoonoo X1, Peter Cardinal Appiah-Turkson, Archbishop of Cape Coast and Mrs Gifty Afenyi-Dadzie, a Member of the Council of State, on Monday called on President Kufuor at the Castle, Osu to present to him the programme dubbed: “Anomabu @ 50”.




Nana Ato Arthur, Central Regional Minister and Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, Minister for Chieftaincy and Culture, accompanied them. Nana Adjiri Aggrey, Mpontuhene, who acted as spokesperson, said the area had played a significant role in the country’s history and that it was only proper, that it was brought out, as the nation celebrated the important landmark of 50 years of political independence.





He said the occasion would also be used to honour President Kufuor for his leadership that had restored the national pride and brought hope to the country. President Kufuor said Anomabu must have something the nation should be proud of. He noted that apart from the three notable personalities, it had also produced key people like Cardinal Appiah-Turkson, the first Ghanaian to be appointed a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, and Mr Kofi Annan, the immediate past United Nations Secretary-General. President Kufuor gave an assurance that he would lead a high level government delegation to attend the ceremony.GNA

Former President to attend Ortega's inauguration

Former President Jerry John Rawlings has accepted an invitation from President-elect of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega Saavedra to attend his inaugural ceremony, which takes place in Managua, Nicaragua on January 10, 2007. Daniel Ortega served as Nicaraguan President from 1985 to 1990.

Defeated by Barrios de Chamorro in the 1990 presidential election, Ortega remained an important figure in Nicaraguan opposition politics, loosing the 1996 and 2001 presidential elections before winning the 2006 election.

A statement issued by Mr. Victor Smith, Special Assistant and Director of Public Affairs said Former President Rawlings, who leaves Accra on Sunday, January 7 and will be away for one week.

Ghanaians Eager For Ban On Smoking In Public Places

Fifty-eight-year-old Ghanaian civil servant Kwaku Anku has been a smoker for over 40 years. Despite knowing the dangers of cigarettes, he has no intention of kicking the habit. After all, he says, his grandfather was a smoker and he lived to the ripe old age of 84.

Anku respects the sensibilities of non-smokers and chooses not to light up in the workplace, but he does smoke in bars and restaurants, but maybe not for much longer.

Ghana's chief anti-smoking campaigner, the director-general of the country's health service, Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa, is stepping up a campaign to ban smoking in public places as a bill to ban smoking in public places continues to gather dust.Akosa is threatening to march on the seat of government with a signed petition over the government's failure to act on smoking."Eighteen months is too long for the bill to be with cabinet," says an exasperated Akosa, who is also calling for a ban on tobacco advertising and the imposition of higher taxes on cigarettes.

A survey by the Ghana Health Service conducted in October and November 2006 revealed that 96 per cent of Ghanaians are in favour of legislation on tobacco control.Studies show that some 14.3 per cent of pupils in junior secondary schools have tried smoking before the age of 18 and a whopping 45 per cent of residents in the three northern regions, Northern Region, Upper East Region and Upper West Region, are addicted to smoking.

The government may have developed cold feet on a smoking ban because of the large amount of taxes it collects from British American Tobacco (BAT), the sole cigarette manufacturer in Ghana.For example, BAT, which has some 90 per cent of the Ghanaian tobacco market, contributed about 5.9 per cent of Ghana's GDP between 1986 and 1990 and saved the government 1.7 million dollars during the same period as 80 per cent of raw materials were produced locally, instead of it being imported.

The company employed, before the decision late last year to close down the factory, some 245 staff in 10 stations in various tobacco producing areas and about 20,000 retailers.Some 1,300 farmers and their families depend for a living on tobacco with their total income in 2003, the most recent year for which figures are available, amounting to some 2.1 million dollars.But BAT is closing down its plant in Ghana in what it has described as an ongoing drive to minimize costs of production.

Tony Okwoju, corporate affairs manager at BAT in Ghana, says the company will now sell products imported from its subsidiaries.BAT Ghana is also the single biggest private company in afforestation, having planted about 4.5 million trees on nearly 3,800 hectares of plantation.Some of it is designed to help cure its tobacco from fuelwood.

Heat from the wood is used to cure the tobacco, hence the need to replace wood that is cut for the purpose.The company is also promoting water protection programme in several areas throughout the country and awards scholarships to university students.But, as Akosa warns, "Smoking kills and there is no way we should allow people to buy death."
Source:DPA